Minister Dilan Yesilgoz is in Antwerp today to talk to European colleagues about a common approach against drug importation. 47,000 kilos of cocaine are intercepted in the port of Rotterdam every year. In Antwerp, things are going further: in 2022 more than 110,000 kilos were seized there.
According to former politician and writer Boris van der Ham, it’s a good idea to cooperate internationally when it comes to fighting drugs. Especially since a water bed effect occurs quickly. “Last year it could have been 47,000 kilos in Rotterdam, but a year before it was more than double,” he says. «While the quantity in Antwerp has increased. The cocaine trade is very international: if it is tackled harder in one place, it will become even bigger in another.
Criminologist and public administration expert Yarin Eski, however, has doubts about this waterbed effect, he dares to ask whether there is not an increase in drug-related crime in Europe. He therefore also questions a possible provision that provides for the appointment of port officials. “Earlier, in a study, I had already suggested setting up marinas,” he says.
disperse
Also, according to Eski, it’s essential to get a good look at the locations where those Marines are deployed. Because where there is currently talk of a partnership between ports in Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, Eski says that there are many countries that have coastal areas, but they are not mentioned in the same breath of the partnership.
“Many Balkan countries are excluded from consideration because of this,” he explains. ‘So I wonder if the problem hasn’t moved to those areas. Why aren’t those countries sitting at the table today?’
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
